Public Statements

Huizenga Discusses the Philosophical Divide in Washington

Statement

U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, spoke at the at the Grand Valley Metropolitan Council quarterly luncheon on the need for more compromise and trust between political parties on Monday, March 11, at the Calvin College Prince Center.

"If you don't trust somebody, how do you do business with them?" he said. "It's not whether you have an R or a D behind your name, I mean, there's a few people who want to just beat each others' brains and it's purely because of that, but it's actually pretty small. There is however, a big divide."

Huizenga explained that simple geography creates a divide. "You're from the upper mid-west, we think differently," he said. "If you're from Arizona, or Montana, or New Mexico, it's a very different perspective."

"The other divide is a generational divide," Huizenga said "There's different expectations."

Huizenga believes the real main divide is not a partisan divide, but a philosophical divide. "What's the proper size, role and scope of government?"